Job Description
Summary of Job Duties
Hiring pay for this position is $21.69 - $23.84/hour
Full salary range for this position is $21.69 - $30.30/hour
City of Aurora, Colorado
It is an exciting time to work for the City of Aurora, we're growing and looking for dedicated and collaborative individuals to join our team of talented and valued employees. Excellent organizations have a set of principles, or core values, that are used to implement their mission and vision. Those values represent the touchstone for the organization, guiding the decisions of the individuals and the organization. At the City of Aurora, we demonstrate our excellence by modeling the CORE 4 Values of: Integrity, Respect, Professionalism, and Customer Service, and we welcome all who share these values to apply.
Why Work for Aurora?
- Make a difference in the lives of real people every day
- Diverse community
- Competitive total compensation package
- Well-Funded General Employees Retirement Plan
- Light rail station minutes away
- On-site fitness center and overall employee well-being programs
- Internal educational programs to assist with career advancement
- Access to innovation work spaces
Position Information
This position is with the Aurora Animal Shelter and will enforce animal-related ordinances for the City to protect the public, manage the animal population and educate the public about responsible pet ownership.
The City of Aurora will conduct ongoing screenings of applications on a first come-first serve basis. As soon as we determine to have a qualified pool of applicants, this position may close quickly and without notice. PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Animal Handling
- Impounds, confiscates or quarantines stray, injured or aggressive domestic or wild animals
- Performs euthanasia as required
- Promotes responsible pet ownership to city residents through presentations in classrooms, at booths, fairs, neighborhood/ward meetings, etc., as needed
- Investigates citizen complaints pertaining to animal related calls, such as barking, running at large, cruelty, mistreatment/neglect and prohibited animals
- Conducts inspections and investigations by gathering evidence, issuing warnings/summonses, writing formal reports and testifying in court
- Relays facts of the case and makes recommendations to the City Attorney while attending court proceedings
- Operates a variety of City vehicles for daily response to dispatched calls
- Adheres to vehicle maintenance schedule and performs daily vehicle and standard equipment safety checks
- Performs duties as the dispatcher for the Animal Protection Officers in the field, as needed
- Performs basic computer operations for Inputting, updating and maintaining information about field cases, kennel updates and animal activities
- Provides assistance to other animal welfare and law enforcement agencies
- Performs on-call, after hours, weekend, and/or holiday duties as required
- Performs additional duties as assigned
Education: At least a High School Diploma or GED.
Experience: At least one year of experience with animals or protection services
An equivalent combination of education, training and experience that demonstrates required knowledge, skills and abilities may be considered.
Licenses:
- Driver's License with a good driving history.
- Euthanasia certification to be obtained within a year of employment.
- State certified officers through the Colorado Association of Animal Control Officers (CAACO) preferred or ability to obtain it within 18 months of employment.
Required Competencies:
- Active Learning: Willingness to be trained and ability to learn new processes
- Animal Handling: Ability to work with a wide variety of animals including domestic animals, livestock and wildlife
- Communication: Attention to detail and ability to communicate effectively; both verbally and in writing for report writing, data entry, investigations
- Judgment: Ability to make competent decisions and remain calm and professional during high stressed/tense situations
- Navigation: Capability to navigate through the city to respond to any address within the jurisdiction in the most timely manner
- Perceptiveness: Must have situational awareness and critical thinking capabilities to make reasonable judgments and work under limited supervision
- Problem Solving: Exceptional interpersonal and mediation skills to verbally de-escalate situations
- Safety: Ability to perceive and identify public safety hazards and dangerous surroundings
- Flexibility: Must be able to work call-back/standby duty on a rotating basis, work evenings, weekends and holidays as needed
- Teamwork: Ability to work in a team or with a wide variety of people and be collaborative
- Values: Should abide by the City's core 4 values in all situations with peers, citizens, and the general public
Preferred Competencies:
- Professional animal control or animal handling experience; domestic and/or wild
- Experience with humanly handling and safely restraining sick, injured, and/or fractious animals
- Understanding of ordinances or code enforcement process and procedures
- Knowledge of City animal-related ordinances
- Experience with Chameleon or similar animal sheltering software program(s)
- Experience and willingness to perform euthanasia
- Spanish language skills preferred
Physical Demands: Moderate to heavy physical work requiring ability to lift a maximum of 75 pounds with assistance; frequent sitting, lifting, carrying, bending, walking, and standing; a full range of body movements including pushing, pulling, climbing and crawling; hand/eye coordination for data entry and frequent operation of motor vehicle, radios, cellular phones and computers; vision to read and interpret reports and other written documents; speech communication and hearing to maintain communications with animals, employees, and citizens.
Work Environment: Works both inside and outside in all types of weather including inclement weather; works in a noisy environment with exposure to noise, dust, chemicals, animal dander, odors, fumes, aggressive/dangerous and sick animals. Extensive time spent driving a City vehicle.
Essential Personnel: When a local announcement of emergency or disaster is declared by the City, all City of Aurora employees may be required to work as essential personnel
Equipment Used: Operates a motor vehicle; uses a variety of hand tools and equipment common to animal control operations such as a catch pole, syringe for vaccinations/euthanasia, wire cutters and shovel, live-capture humane traps; portable and/or mobile two-way radio, telephone, digital camera, video recorder, computer, crematory, and "Hotsie machine"/pressure washer. This position may require the incumbent to occasionally use personal equipment (e.g. vehicle, cell phone, tools, etc.) in the course of their employment.
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For Veterans preferences: Please show all of your employment history, including military service and related documentation (DD214) on the application.
The City of Aurora is an equal opportunity employer. We are required by state and federal agencies to keep certain statistical records on applicants. It will not be used in any way to discriminate against you because of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, creed, national origin, disability or military status, gender identity, unless related to a bona fide occupational qualification as defined by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunity Commission.
Despite the changes in Colorado law, the City of Aurora maintains a drug free workplace. A positive test of marijuana is grounds for disqualification and ineligibility for employment with the city for one year or termination once hired.
Drug Testing, Thorough Criminal Background Check, and Employment References:
As a condition of employment, all applicants selected for employment with the City of Aurora must undergo a thorough criminal background check and drug screening. Employment references will be conducted on finalists for City of Aurora vacancies.